Monday, Sep 15, 2003
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By V.S. Sambandan
The meeting, the first since the LTTE's boycott of the International Donors' Conference hosted by Tokyo in June, was described by the Japanese delegation that visited rebel-held Kilinochchi as "very useful" and included discussions on the Tokyo conference as well as the follow-up meeting held here on September 12. "Mr. Tamilchelvan assured me that very soon they will be able to present their proposal to the Government and it is hopeful of the agreement with the Government on that particular question," Mr. Akashi said in a statement. Mr. Akashi, who returned to Colombo this evening after visiting the eastern Muslim majority Amparai district and the LTTE-held north, is scheduled to meet the President, Chandrika Kumaratunga, tomorrow. During his visit, Mr. Akashi has called on the Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, and the President's Senior Adviser on Foreign Affairs, Lakshman Kadirgamar, before his travel to the north and the east. Mr. Akashi's visit comes at a time when the peace process is, in his own words, "in a very, very fragile stage" after the rebels unilaterally snapped talks with the Government on April 21, citing tardy progress in implementing the promises made during the talks since last September. Subsequently, the LTTE demanded an interim administration for the northeast. It may be recalled that nearly a year ago, when the first round of direct talks between the Sri Lankan Government and the Tigers was held in Thailand between September 16 and 18, the chief rebel negotiator, Anton S. Balasingham, had said that the LTTE was seeking legitimacy and recognition for its "permanent administration". The LTTE, which rejected offers for a development-oriented structure for the northeast, has insisted that it wants a "politico-administrative structure". Describing an offer for a Provisional Administrative Structure as one that "fails to meet the expectations of the Tamils", the LTTE is now preparing a set of "counter-proposals", expected to demand legitimacy for its "police, judiciary" and "revenue" mechanism.
LTTE `build-up'
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's sensitive eastern military situation is fast becoming the centre of a political controversy with the Government and the Opposition holding different views on the build-up of camps by the LTTE around the Trincomalee port. At the crux of the differences between Sri Lanka's main political parties — the United National Party (UNP), headed by Mr. Wickremesinghe, and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), headed by Ms. Kumaratunga — are reports by the island's armed forces that the rebel build-up make the eastern port vulnerable to attacks if there is a resumption of violence.
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